Dutch farm floats possibilities of urban dairy production

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — A new floating farm has opened in a corner of Rotterdam’s busy harbour is showcasing what its creator calls a sustainable way of producing dairy in the places where most people consume it — the world’s busy cities.

Moored in a small harbour in Rotterdam’s busy port, the farm is a futuristic three-story floating structure where one robot milks the cows and another automatically scoops up the manure that gives the enterprise its familiar smell.

Its roof collects rainwater and a raft of solar panels floating alongside produces 40 per cent of the energy the farm needs.

The fully-functioning showcase of circular-economy farming combines Dutch expertise in recycling, building on water and automated agriculture is drawing interest from around the world.

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